Posts by Fernando

53

Describe What a Jehovah's Witness Elder Is Like

by minimus in

jw
friends

i know what they are supposed to be like.

but at this point in time, do you think the elders look joyful?

are they serious bible students?

Fernando

Pharisee.

Matthew 23 especially v15.

Falsely claims to teach the "Good News" or gospel (evangelize).

Teaches religion instead (proselytize).

Promotes apostate legalism.

Promotes apostate moralism.

Promotes apostate ethnocentrism (doctrinal dissection and supremacy)

Promotes apostate Gnosticism (salvation by supremacist knowledge/intelligence/affiliation)

Denies imputed righteousness.

Denies imputed holiness.

Denies the 5 solas (of the reformation).

Denies that Jesus is the mediator of ordinary R&F (laity class).

https://www.barna.org/barna-update/faith-spirituality/611-christians-more-like-jesus-or-pharisees

67

I have an honest question!

by FL_Panthers in

jw
friends

it's with regards to disfellowshipping.. is disfellowshipping a legal procedure?

like is there something i can use to prevent this from happening to me if it does happen.. no jokes about me being a bad little boy.

i need honest answers to this.

Fernando

Some have found moving to another continent a great personal development opportunity that allows one to preserve relationships (email, facebook, skype, phone, viber...)

Although far from experiencing the real thing, these great books can at least prepare one to expect that everything you know, think, believe, expect, trust and normally do, will be challenged:

Culture Shock series

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/search?searchTerm=%22culture+shock%22+etiquette&search=Find+book

As before, a great personal development opportunity...

37

Shared some TTATT with my wife and now she wants us to have a weekly personal bible study

by suavojr in

jw
friends

here is the situation.... a young 19 year old in our congo had a fallout with his parents because of all the restrictions and jw dogma and moved out of the house last wednesday.. to make the story short, the parents went running to the elders and what was the comfort?.

coe said: i saw that coming!

your son never reached out to get baptized.. then the other elder said: don't worry, you still have one left that will be saved.

Fernando

Your wife is definitely onto something, and might be behaving discreetly while (instinctively?) knowing more about the Watchtower than she is letting on...

Reading Romans carefully until it opens up is a great way to go. Maybe Galatians thereafter.

Possibly mark each occurence of the words "righteous" and "righteousness". You will notice that Paul and the Watchtower are definitely not on the same page.

Comparing Bible translations can help get ones mind out of the rut of the familiar.

The Message Bible can be a big help.

Best wishes for you and your family.

21

Which Bible Translation?

by Blackbird Fly in

just wondering which is your favorite translation of the bible?

we only have the nwt (pre 2013 revision) here, curently.

but i wouldnt be opposed to having another translation to refer to....

Fernando

I have had benefit from comparing translations at www.biblehub.com and www.biblegateway.com .

The Message Bible, in everyday English, makes interesting reading, especially (the introduction to) Galatians.

What has been most transformative and liberating for our family has been to focus on the central message of scripture which is woven throughout and hidden in plain sight.

It is known by at least 6 names in English: the Gospel, the Evangel, the Good Message, Glad Tidings, the Sacred Secret, and the Good News.

It can be found in the Watchtower library (albeit fragmented), but not in the hearts and not on the lips of followers of the Watchtower organisation and its religious authorities.

15

GB And Change: Lessons From Soviet History

by metatron in

jw
friends

i read an interesting book - "spymaster" by tennent bagley in which he offers a biography of a senior consultant to the kgb, based on long interviews with a man who was once his enemy (sergey kundrashev).

i believe the book proves some powerful insights into the workings of secretive totalitarian cults.. there are many parallels between the two organizations: they were both born out of 1914 events, they addressed each other as comrade/brother, they encouraged youth to become "pioneers/red pioneers", they were started as very individualistic (revolutionaries) -were then taken over and structured by an amoral thug-dictator (stalin/rutherford) , worshipped the "party/organization", emphasized collective thought over the individual, and ended up ruled by an elderly politboro/governing body - who were forced to contend with disruptive change.. .

but here's where the similarities get interesting:.

Fernando

Thanks for sharing the interesting parallels metatron.

15

Will the Governing Body ever show a ' broken heart?'

by LogCon in

psalm 51:17 says, my sacrifice, o god, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, god, will not despise.. .

as the evidence mounts, and fingers are pointed at the governing body for their complicity in the 'child abuse cover ups' ,.

...will they ever get down on bended knee and show truly broken hearts?.

Fernando

The only thing that will break their heart is their organisation (VISIBLE golden calf) going bankrupt.

Repent though?

Never!

26

What if I am a disfellowshipped public school teacher?

by bsand20 in

jw
friends

could a parent put in a complaint to the school district and request that their child be transferred out of my classroom because i am exjw?

if they give me the jw school brochure (do they still do that?

sorry its been 16years since i've been out) can i just tell them i'm familiar with their teachings or should i just pretend i'm new to their teachings?....i'm a freshman in college so i have still a long ways before this situation is presented, however i"m trying to get prepared for it.

Fernando

Welcome bsand20!

26

UNITY vs CONFORMITY - discuss.

by disposable hero of hypocrisy in

i've read the walsh trial that indicates the societies stance of ' unity at all costs, even if we're wrong ' but that sounds more like conformity to me.

so how do other religions or movements justify the range of beliefs within their respective movements?

for example, the born again movement, a massive range of beliefs, but they don't insist on conformity.

Fernando

It seems to boil down to a mutually exclusive choice between "unity in doctrine" versus "unity in Christ".

The former always seems to end up being exclusive, supremacist and divisive (sectarian), whereas the latter is inclusive and unifying.

6

What about non JW girls?

by gab_gab in

i'm writing my first post here :) long story short, i feel like i'm making a somehow huge effort to be a jw so i started to wish to take a break from the usual jw activities.

here i am making one step further, i guess .. so, what could be , let's say, the strongest reason for you not to date a girl that isn't a jw?

aand eventually going to the next base.

Fernando

Welcome gab_gab!

There are many good reasons we folk here can give "NOT to date a girl that isn't is a JW".

13

GIVE US BACK OUR 11 DAYS!!

by Terry in

jw
friends

imagine you just paid your rent.. you have a whole month until you have to pay again.

you go to bed secure in that knowledge.. when you wake up the next morning you discover 11 days have been removed from the calendar and your rent will be due again only 20 days!.

so easter could be celebrated "correctly.".

Fernando

So does that mean that an extra day in February every leap year is Gregorian?

And do I remember correctly that there is also a further adjustment every 100 years?

A February with 30 days?

So how many days in a (Gregorian) year on average (probably not 365.25)?